5 most uplifting stories of the week

A letter that had to be opened way too soon and an amazing gesture by an athlete to her twin sister are in the list:

1. Girl's letter to future self goes viral: Taylor Smith died of pneumonia on Jan. 5, but months beforehand, the 12-year-old wrote a two-page letter to her future self. The Tennessee girl intended to open it in 2023, when she was 22. Instead, her parents opened it after her death.

2. Athlete gives up Olympic spot for twin sister: Tracy Barnes won a spot on the U.S. Olympic biathlon team, but she's not taking it. She gave up her place so her twin sister, Lanny, could go instead. Lanny had been too sick to compete in all the selection races, but Tracy believes her sister had a better year. It took some convincing, and tears, but Lanny agreed.

3. Honest guy returns lost down payment for house: At the very least, it would have been an easy $2,000. That's how much cash was in the envelope that Brian DiCarlo found in a strip-mall parking lot in Clackamas, Ore. It also had a cashier's check for $38,000, money for a house down payment by the woman who had dropped it. Now she's got it all back, thanks to the Good Samaritan.

4. Monopoly: The game that helped WWII POWs escape: Monopoly was more than a game for many World War II POWs, who used tools hidden in the boxed sets to help them escape. The story's been told before, but Christian Donland at Eurogamer looks deeply into the ingenious operation, complete with secret red dots on the board.

5. Litter of kittens wins over prison: Four kittens seeking shelter managed to find some in the unlikeliest of places: a maximum security prison in upstate New York. They've since become guests of honor among staffers and inmates alike.

For more uplifting news, visit Newser, a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.